Youth & Family Services
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Peggy Higgins, Director of |
E-mail: phiggins@collegeparkmd.gov |
240-487- |
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Stacie Gold, Clinical Supervisor |
E-mail: sgold@collegeparkmd.gov |
240-487-3550 |
College Park Youth and Family Services (CPYFS) is a municipal program that helps promote positive youth development through family and individual therapy, educational groups, and community outreach activities.
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Youth & Family Services is located at 4912 Nantucket Road, College Park, Maryland 20740.
Telephone 240-487-3550, FAX 301-474-0717.
Individual and Family Counseling
Youth & Family Services offers counseling help to families who are having difficulties with everyday living. This help may involve one member or the entire family. Individual, family and group counseling is provided to Prince George's County families with children up to 18 years of age. All counseling services are confidential and personalized to the unique needs of the individual client family. Our program provides a wide range of counseling options, including child-centered play therapy for children ages 2-10. Priority referrals are accepted from College Park residents, suicidal youth and from the Department of Juvenile Justice. Referrals also come from schools, other agencies and clients themselves.
All professional staff hold advanced degrees. Graduate interns are in their second year of advanced degree programs and are supervised by the professional staff. The program receives funding primarily from the City of College Park and the State of Maryland. Cost is determined on a sliding fee scale based on income; no one is denied service because of an inability to pay.
Group Counseling for Children
Youth, Family and Senior Services Dept. offers time limited groups for children, often on site at local schools. These groups generally meet during school hours. Subject areas that children are addressing in these groups include, but are not limited to:
Theraplay - an active structured group for young children to promote positive relationships among classmates
Anger management
Divorce and separation
Self esteem
A journey group designed for young adolescents to explore their identities and goals
Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention
Crisis Intervention: During office hours, we provide crisis intervention by giving appropriate referrals and telephone counseling to those in need. After the agency is closed, our voice mail system provides the telephone number of the Prince George's County Hotline and Suicide Prevention Center 301-864- 7161. This number provides 24-hour assistance for individuals in crisis.
Suicide Prevention: We respond immediately to this serious concern. An appointment or the appropriate referral is given to families requesting help with a suicidal child or teen.
Substance Abuse Assessment and Referral
A screening assessment for substance abuse, including risk factors, is made for every formal client. When warranted, clients are referred to a specialized substance abuse treatment agency. We then work in conjunction with those agencies as we address the issue of substance abuse within a family context.
Community Involvement, Outreach and Special Events
Youth, Family and Senior Services Dept. works closely with the community, providing a wide variety of services, including:
Responding to requests from local schools and other professionals for assistance in working with parents and children
Providing staff support to the City's Education Advisory Committee
Serving as liaison with community groups interested in service opportunities
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Hosting 2 family community events, 1 on the Saturday before Halloween and 1 on the Saturday before Easter week. Both events are held at the Youth, Family and Senior Services Dept. facility at 4912 Nantucket Road from 10 a.m. to noon.
Advocacy for Youth and Families
In addition to providing direct services to children and families, Youth and Family Services staff also serve as advocates for children and their families in local, county and state settings.
Information about community resources, as well as referrals to appropriate agencies, is provided upon request.
Program Highlights
Quality counseling services that achieve high satisfaction ratings from participants
Services provided by experienced post-graduate level staff
State-of-the-art facility
Specialization in play therapy
Professional training for 2nd year graduate interns
Effective community partnerships